City News

The City of Mill Valley is pleased to announce that it will receive $26,500 from the Cosco Busan Oil Spill Settlement – Recreational Use Grant Program to support the Bayfront Park Recreational Bay Access Pier Rehabilitation project.

In early 2012, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, together with California Department of Fish and Game and the California State Lands Commission, requested proposals for recreational projects that compensate the public for the loss of use and enjoyment of public beaches, parks, and other public or natural resources as a result of the Cosco Busan oil spill.

Approximately $6.8 million in grant funds were available throughout the Bay Area, with $720,000 allocated for applicants from Marin County.

City of Mill Valley Operations Superintendent Rick Misuraca, in partnership with the Parks and Recreation Commission, and several citizen volunteers, applied for funding to rehabilitate a recreational pier on Richardson Bay, which was damaged by storms in 2005.

Built in the 1970s, the pier included a fixed pier connecting to the park’s trail system, a gangway that adapted to tidal changes, and a floating pier providing direct access to the water. The pier was used for a variety of water-related activities including boating, fishing, and other recreational uses. The pier was severely damaged in a winter storm in 2005 and determined to be in need of almost complete reconstruction.

The project will restore use of the pier for boating, fishing, and other recreational uses. Mill Valley Parks maintenance staff will reconstruct the pier with redwood lumber salvaged and milled from downed trees within the City of Mill Valley. It will feature a new aluminum gangway which will connect the floating pier to the fixed pier and meet accessibility guidelines. The project will reuse some existing components, avoid bay mud disturbance, not use any chemically treated wood or other toxic materials, and will reduce the footprint of the original pier.

Mill Valley applied for, and was awarded $26,500.00 for the project. The funding will go towards final architectural and structural design services, material and labor costs. Project costs were offset by the donation of the initial project plans by a local design firm, the City’s available supply and milling of salvaged redwood lumber, and the volunteer time invested in this grant application by members of the Parks and Recreation Commission and several citizens committed to making this project a reality. The City would like to thank and acknowledge Parks and Recreation Commissioners Joan Murray and Doug Nelson for their efforts on this project.